Photo : © Pierre Defontaine

Want to get away from the concrete, hop on your bike and recharge your batteries in the heart of nature? Head for the Meuse (55)! Barely an hour by TGV from Paris, this corner of Grand Est offers the perfect backdrop for a micro-adventure. Why not spend a couple of days bikepacking along EuroVelo 19 - La Meuse à Vélo, between tranquil rivers, dense forests and unspoilt villages?

Nature & micro-adventure: as soon as you step off the train, pedal along the back roads to the river; the voie verte winds its way past orchards and mossy cliffs. Between Verdun and Saint-Mihiel, the Meuse flows peacefully while the old front lines have been transformed into a “Forêt d'Exception®”. A picnic break turns into an impromptu swim, a detour to Vent des Forêts inoculates you with a dose of contemporary art in the heart of nature, and the end of the stage is written under canvas, in a hut or at the home of a gourmet local. The next day, discover Les Côtes: sweat it out on the switchbacks, munch on a mirabelle plum plucked from a tree by the side of the road, then come out onto Lac de Madine for a siesta in the shade before heading back to Commercy (and its mythical madeleines) or coasting back to Verdun.

Heritage & living memory: Verdun combines a leisurely stroll along the quays with a poignant plunge into the history of 14-18; casemates, trenches and forts tell the story of the war, while the town reinvents its banks of the Meuse in gentle terraces. Further afield, Saint-Mihiel unveils its abbey church and the masterpieces of Ligier Richier; Commercy erects its Renaissance facades around the Château Stanislas, a perfect railway departure point for gliding towards other horizons. Between two villages, the vaults of the Collancelle, nicknamed “Little Amazon”, remind us that the Meuse hides some off-the-radar gems.

Culinary delights & art of living: here, comfort comes in the form of a saddlebag. Mirabelles and quetsches picked up along the way, dragées de Verdun, craft beers and farmhouse cheeses from the producers... All washed down, why not, with a vin gris des Côtes de Toul shared by the waterside, calves already ready for the next climb!

In short, whether you're traveling solo, as a duo or with your tribe, the Meuse is a wild but accessible playground, where you can slow down, breathe in the fresh air, and re-learn that true luxury sometimes lies in a simple sunrise over the river, the tent still beaded with dew.